The Office of Community Engagement

The Office of Community Engagement (OCE) works to build effective campus/community partnerships that link community opportunities to the resources of the curriculum. Working through four distinct programs, the OCE provides tools and resources where they are needed, and supports the creation of best practices and positive outcomes for both students and the community.

The France-Merrick Opportunity Fund supports three distinct grants offered by the Office of Community Engagement at MICA, the Community Engagement Grant, the Curriculum Travel Grant, and the Engaged Alumni Grant. Find out more information about each of the three grants here.

The Community-Based Learning (CBL) program supports campus/community partnerships that are embedded within the curriculum and respond to community opportunities and needs. Focusing on Baltimore, the program seeks to enhance project-based learning for MICA students, assist faculty members in embedding community-based learning into their curriculum, and support positive outcomes for both MICA and the community.

The Baltimore Art + Justice Project will improve the lives of Baltimore residents by strengthening art and design-based advocacy and intervention. The project is dedicated to laying the foundation for advocacy and collaboration between and among local artists and designers, arts organizations, community-based organizations, advocates, and funders working to promote social justice in Baltimore.

Created in 2004, the Community Art Collaborative (CAC) places community artists in year-long residencies with nonprofits, schools, and community centers in Baltimore City, providing children, youth, and adults with the benefits of after-school arts-based learning experiences and stronger neighborhoods through community art projects.